CBI told to take over Shopian case

New Delhi, Sept. 15: : Its reservations against taking over the case notwithstanding, the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) was on Tuesday asked by the Central government to investigate the alleged rape and murder of two women in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a notification under Section five of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act and the CBI will take over the case in a day or two,” CBI spokesman Harsh Bahal said on Tuesday.
CBI director Ashwani Kumar had said on Sunday that the agency had informed the government about its reservations on taking up the case but left the final decision to the government.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had on September 9 approached the Centre for ordering a CBI probe into the alleged rape and murder, which had sparked widespread street protests in Shopian for days together, after the Special Investigating Team of the state failed to make any breakthrough into the case.
A notification issued by the state requested for a CBI probe into death of Neelofar, 22, and Aasiya, 17 whose bodies were found on May 30.